Capital markets

Questions about how it will be implemented and whether the rest of the market will follow the agency's lead make the expense involved difficult to estimate.

While on the positive side, Fannie Mae CEO Priscilla Almodovar said the loan defect rate has dropped 75%, she and Freddie Mac President Michael Hutchins noted that they're closely examining disruptive servicing transfers and standards for multifamily properties.

While the latest change applies specifically to COVID forbearances, the agency is looking at more options for alternatives that can be offered on a regular basis, Director Sandra Thompson said.

The government-related loan buyer also is looking into whether there are ways to offer options other than buybacks in some instances, said Senior Vice President Sonu Mittal, head of single-family acquisitions.

An analysis of previously released S&P data suggests the Federal Housing Finance Agency's initiative would have mixed impacts on the price of loans and eligibility that vary by individual.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development affiliate is making it easier to repackage securities backed exclusively by these mortgages.

Numbers the Federal Housing Finance Agency just reported for 2022 were the third lowest since the program began, and this year's probably won't be high either.

The shape it takes could have implications for how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac price loans for nonbanks and depositories.

Should the Federal Reserve step back into the market and restart their loan purchase activity?

The share of companies experimenting with artificial intelligence has increased, but full deployment is another matter, a Fannie Mae survey found.